QE in the Canaries April 2022

[mcloaked]

If anyone in the forum is on QE currently getting to the Canary Islands, it would be good to hear how the voyage is going?

[exlondoner]

Blissful for us so far, after a dire check-in.

Questions?

[Victoria2]

14 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

Blissful for us so far, after a dire check-in.

Questions?

Why was the check in dire?

Great news on the actual cruise though. 🙂

[exlondoner]

It was over a hour and a half from arriving at the terminal to getting on board, about twenty minutes of which was spent waiting to be tested in a tent full of dozens of people. Then security took ages, partly because it was such a cold day and people were wearing lots of layers. I have no idea why it was so busy.

[mcloaked]

That is a complete contrast to when we checked in for the Northern Lights cruise on QE only a few weeks ago - a short queue waiting for the test booths, with about 6 or so operating. So getting the swab was fairly quick, and then walking round to the terminal only a minute or so. Then waiting for the swab test result was a bit of a lull, but then the rest including security was the fastest I have ever known to get on the ship.   Maybe as you say, it was just a day when factors conspired to make it somewhat tedious.  However hopefully life on board is now as nice as we all would hope.

 

[exlondoner]

They had thirteen booths operating, and the tent was still full, with the queue going outside. I suppose it just happened that everyone turned up together. The only high point was that the test results came promptly - and we passed.

[Jonem2001]

Was the busyness perhaps due to the closure of the drive-through testing facility? The preceding Amsterdam cruise was supposed to be the last to use it before it was closed with the end of the winter season; with all testing transferred to terminal facilities.

[Host Hattie]

22 hours ago, exlondoner said:

Blissful for us so far, after a dire check-in.

Questions?

Sorry to hear about check-in but good that it's been blissful since. Hope you carry on having a good time.

[exlondoner]

19 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Sorry to hear about check-in but good that it's been blissful since. Hope you carry on having a good time.

You bet we are. The food seems particularly good and skilfully prepared, and the QG has some new menus. But I did have to ask for fruit, bar soap, laundry bags and a shower cap. There is no Atlas in the cabin, something I really miss.

[Victoria2]

24 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

You bet we are. The food seems particularly good and skilfully prepared, and the QG has some new menus. But I did have to ask for fruit, bar soap, laundry bags and a shower cap. There is no Atlas in the cabin, something I really miss.

Good to hear and if those are the only issues for you, at the moment, I think we'll be able to bear them! 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your cruise and I hope it's [plain sailing for you.

[LadyL1]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

You bet we are. The food seems particularly good and skilfully prepared, and the QG has some new menus. But I did have to ask for fruit, bar soap, laundry bags and a shower cap. There is no Atlas in the cabin, something I really miss.

It has been like that since last summer when when cruises resumed.

All to do with the COVID protocols: surely this must end soon with basics such as shower caps left in bathroom. One can go to the library and touch/borrow books there, so as you and I would like, the room atlas being not being returned, seems a little strange!

So pleased you are enjoying the lovely dining room but is it warm enough for the Courtyard to be used?

[Megabear2]

Shower caps are assumedly removed for green purposes rather than Covid?  Not being a grills passenger I have no idea if they were better than the single use plastic ones in my balcony stateroom but remember being told on my last 2019 voyage they would be phased out as they were a danger to marine life.

[exlondoner]

47 minutes ago, LadyL1 said:

It has been like that since last summer when when cruises resumed.

All to do with the COVID protocols: surely this must end soon with basics such as shower caps left in bathroom. One can go to the library and touch/borrow books there, so as you and I would like, the room atlas being not being returned, seems a little strange!

So pleased you are enjoying the lovely dining room but is it warm enough for the Courtyard to be used?

Just had lunch in the Courtyard. Most agreeable.

[lissie]

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said:

Shower caps are assumedly removed for green purposes rather than Covid?  Not being a grills passenger I have no idea if they were better than the single use plastic ones in my balcony stateroom but remember being told on my last 2019 voyage they would be phased out as they were a danger to marine life.

Along with the replacement of liquid containers with larger refillable ones. I think the Covid thing is only getting cotton wool and similar on request. 

[mcloaked]

Presumably everyone is enjoying their Canaries voyage so much that they haven't had time to post about it here!

[Host Hattie]

Hopefully or maybe the wifi is just terrible !

[mcloaked]

We have 6 friends on that cruise and they are simply having a whale of a time...  they do send occasional messages but they are on their phones a lot less than when not on a cruise! Though with several sea days between the Canaries and Southampton apart from a day in Lisbon, perhaps they will have a little more time to get on WhatsApp before they get home!

[Host Hattie]

That's good to hear

[exlondoner]

I’m having a very nice time, but doing little. No trips, no shows, no lectures. In any case the lecture programme seems fairly unimpressive. However, we have had some excellent meals in QG, and the sun terrace has been very inviting, but not today in Lisbon, when, although the sun is warm, there are periodic showers. People are being pretty good about mask wearing in lift, although it’s not actually compulsory. We have not been told if people are being quarantined.

[Host Hattie]

Nice to hear from you, enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[tiggis]

A few comments from the perspective of a Britannia Club passenger.

Unlike the OP on another thread. I didn’t find the check-in procedures too onerous, granted the need for a Covid test. One hour from arrival to boarding (in my case) compares favourably with recent experience at airports.

Food has been excellent (confirmed by other diners at my table), as has been the service in BC. If anything, the service has been a bit too attentive, which is also the case in the Lido where it is difficult to browse without a waiter hovering at your shoulder asking what you want.

There is no evening turndown service, at least In Britannia, ‘for operational reasons’. Don’t know the real reason for this as the steward still appears each evening with the next day’s programme and chocolates.

There are two Insight lecturers- Malcolm Nelson (ex Border Force) who is good but I have heard him before, and Philip Price, a marine biologist who is talking about a range of sea creatures and making a niche subject pretty interesting.

There have been two excellent classical pianists, and a good string trio, together with the usual array of other musicians.

The dress code seems to be pretty well observed.

Shuttles were provided (but not required) in Lanzarote and Lisbon. There was no charge.

 

 

 

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for your report

[Host Hattie]

Welcome home, I hope you all had a good time.

[exlondoner]

Thank you, HH, I certainly did. However, I do think to an extent, in minor things, Cunard are muddling Covid precautions, saving the environment, and saving money. For, instance, why no welcome aboard chocolates? Nonetheless, the serenity of the ship was enjoyable, and the staff universally wonderful. I didn't see any member of staff at any stage without their mask. Very laudable. It was a shame that, while most passengers wore masks in appropriate places, there were those that did not. There seems to have been quite a revamp of the menus, and, tragically, the fruit soups no longer appear at lunch. 

 

[acc1956]

I have to say that we had a horrendous time on the Queen.  We, as many other people, I hope, self isolated a week before the cruise, taking a flo test the day before travel which, as the embarkment pcr test was negative. We are of those passengers that wore masks at all times in all common areas and sanitised our hands at all times. We had a flo test ( just for our own satisfaction ) two days into the cruise which were negative.  My wife became unwell the evening we left Tenerife and was tested the following day and was found to be Covid positive... I was negative.   We were taken from our cabin, within an hour of the test results, separated, and my wife re-accommodated at the front of the ship, and I at the back.....we were held in these cabins for the the remainder of the cruise, with no human interaction at all, out meals left outside the room on the passage-way floor following a knock on the door....  We were disembarked sometime after all other guests, and I am sorry to say left us feeling like Lepas with all members of the crew keeping a good 6.0m away from us and sanitizing everywhere we had been.  We could only have contracted the virus on the ship........this has been a truly memorable cruise, which was supposed to be a once in a lifetime only trip for our 45th wedding anniversary. !!!!!!!!!!